[FoRK] The death of email?

[Elias Sinderson]

Eugen Leitl wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 04:38:48PM -0500, Luis Villa wrote:
>   
>> College students have the problem of inviting people to parties and tracking RSVPs. Facebook solves that problem; email doesn't.
>>     
>
> I wonder why one would need email to throw parties. That's just completely mind-boggling. 

Dude, come on, it's common knowledge that there were no parties prior to 
email -- at first (in the early to mid 60's) they were somewhat awkward 
affairs, being mostly attended by the timeshare nerds who were confined 
to sharing the same mainframes. But, by 1966 email had been extended to 
/network email/ and things really started to heat up. There are several 
well-confirmed and legendary accounts of how MITs CTSS system was 
instrumental in planting the seeds for the Summer of Love in 1967 by 
connecting their email system to that of NORADs SAGE system and inviting 
the ground operators to the Human Be In in Central Park that January. 
Later that same year, email contributed to another filthy expose of 
cultural excess in Woodstock, NY. Before the decade was out, the ARPANET 
effort was underway and it was widely acknowledged by all concerned that 
parties were indeed here to stay. The introduction of the '@' sign in 
email addressing by 1971 was the nail in the coffin, enabling large 
hoards of roving partiers to begin migrating across the country in an 
loosely organized fashion. Historically this period will forever be 
dominated by the emergence of 'Dead Heads' who, among others, became 
well known for their all-night antics; with their details broadcast 
widely via email, those parties are gatherings of legend. Youth, heading 
the siren song of technology, left their homes by the score, traveling 
together by van and bus to participate in what can only be described as ...

Oh well, back to work.


-Elias